ANDY MURRAY has admitted that he is feeling the weight of intense pressure to succeed and has asked to be given time to develop and grow as a tennis player.

In the frankest interview of his meteoric career, the 19-year-old Scot asks for his critics to judge him in four years, when he expects to realise his potential. “The real results will start to happen when I’m 22 or 23. That’s when I’ll expect more pressure on me at Wimbledon, but expecting me to do it at 19 is a bit unrealistic,” said Murray.

Murray’s fitness was questioned after he exited the French Open in the first round last Tuesday. However, he will play at the Stella Artois at Queen’s Club next week. The nationalist and football fan, who has previously said he will cheer any team that faces England, is hoping Sven-Göran Eriksson’s side deflect some of the spotlight from his Wimbledon performance.

“If England do well in Germany I think it will be more calm at Wimbledon,” Murray told The Sunday Times. “I’ve been asked a few times ‘how do you think you will do this year?’ but it depends on the draw. The most important thing is that my game keeps going in the right direction. Every time after losing in five sets, it’s ‘the guy was stronger’ or ‘you’re not fit enough’. There should be more perspective.”

Murray, who suffered cramp at Wimbledon last year, remains deeply suspicious of the media, a feeling that has increased since the coverage given to his abuse of the umpire during a Davis Cup doubles rubber alongside Greg Rusedski for Great Britain against Serbia and Montenegro last April.

The young Scot defied medical advice and played despite a throat infection, only to pick up a code violation after complaining about a line call, and later television microphones picked up another outburst.

Murray has defended his actions, saying too much is expected of young men such as Wayne Rooney and himself. “Journalists at Braehead said, ‘if you don’t play the team is going to lose’. They put so much pressure on me. I was 18. It’s like with Rooney and England. They’re now saying if Rooney doesn’t play England are going to lose, but what about Lampard, Gerrard, Owen, Beckham, Terry, Campbell and Cole? He is only 20. Stop rushing him!” His desire to win has never been in doubt and, significantly, the new star of British tennis rates his “most satisfying performance” a triumph over adversity rather than his first ATP final, defeating Tim Henman, Andy Roddick or Lleyton Hewitt.

In the first-round draw of the US Open against Andrei Pavel of Romania, Murray had a shoulder problem, was two sets to one down and came back after throwing up on court to win. “Given the pressure I was under, and all that was being said about my fitness, that was pretty satisfying.”